


Homeward Tide

by Laylah



Category: Tales of Vesperia
Genre: Best Friends, M/M, Post-Canon, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-19
Updated: 2009-12-19
Packaged: 2017-10-04 14:40:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laylah/pseuds/Laylah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Flynn is still home for him in a way that the Capital itself isn't anymore -- it's just that Yuri doesn't get the chance to come home very often.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Homeward Tide

Yuri makes excuses to stop by Zaphias as often as he can, with the Guilds keeping him so busy, and when he's there Flynn tends to take as much of a break from commandant-ing as he can get away with, but for a while there it's like they're being pulled along by different tides. There just isn't enough time. Flynn is still _home_ for him in a way that the Capital itself isn't anymore -- it's just that Yuri doesn't get the chance to come home very often.

When the news reaches Dahngrest about Aurnion having a festival to celebrate the anniversary of the town's founding, though, Yuri can feel that tide pulling at him right away. He asks around, figures out how long he has to get down there, starts buying supplies. The others corner him before he gets very far.

"So," Karol says, hands on his hips, "we're going to Aurnion?"

Yuri looks down at Repede, thinking maybe he ratted Yuri out again, but Repede just whines. "I don't know about we, captain," Yuri says. "I mean, you've got stuff to do around here, right?"

"You jerk," Karol says. "We can spare enough time for a festival, especially if we take Ba'ul."

"Besides," Judy adds, "Brave Vesperia helped with the founding of Aurnion. We should definitely be there."

"That's right!" Karol brightens like it's just the excuse he's been looking for. "We should be there to represent the Union! The Empire didn't build Aurnion on their own."

"All right, all right," Yuri says, rolling his eyes. "We'll all go."

He has to admit, it is a lot easier to get there with Ba'ul's help, even if it does mean everybody knows they're coming -- Rita swears she has a way to make a machine that flies, but she doesn't have it up and running yet, so for now the only ship in the air is theirs. Ba'ul sets them down on the plain a little way outside Aurnion and they walk into town from there.

They get there just as the sun's going down, and people are lighting up the festival lanterns. There are banners strung up between the houses, fluttering in the breeze, and someone's playing music at the edge of the town square. Yuri scans the little crowd, and he sees plenty of blue uniforms, but not the familiar face he's looking for.

"I'll catch up with you guys later," he tells Judy and Karol. "Me and Repede are going to go look for Flynn."

Judy and Karol shoo him off -- they probably never had any doubt why he was here in the first place -- and Yuri slips into the crowd.

It feels like people are really settling in here, making it a good place to live. Yuri spots at least one or two faces he recognizes from the Lower Quarter, but everyone just looks _happier_ in Aurnion. And he was part of making that happen. It's weird to think about, but it's something he can be proud of, too.

Yuri comes around a corner and a little girl in a red dress grabs his hand. "Yuri!" she says. "I knew you'd come!"

"Marietta," Yuri guesses, and the girl beams up at him. "How are you doing? The town looks great."

"I helped decorate," she tells him proudly. "Even though I still think they should call it Flynntown."

"Oh yeah?" Yuri says. He figures he shouldn't be surprised. "Have you tried suggesting that to Flynn?"

Marietta makes a face. "Yes," she says. "But _he_ says if we're going to change the name we should change it to Yuriville."

Yuri laughs. "He would," he says. Flynn always did think too much of him. "I guess if people can't agree, then we'll just have to stick with the name it's got for now. But hey, Aurnion's a pretty good name." He looks up, across the square, and finally does catch sight of Flynn, helping some lady balance as she hangs flowers over a doorway. For a second his ribs feel too tight. "It means hope."

"I guess so," Marietta says. "And I can still call it Flynntown in secret."

"You sure can," Yuri agrees. "Hey, maybe I should go talk to him for you, see if I can change his mind. Have fun at the festival, okay?"

She waves goodbye and Yuri starts across the square before Flynn can run off to help someone else. He still might not have made it, except that Repede runs ahead of him and barks when Flynn looks like he's about to get distracted again.

Flynn looks up, and he smiles when he sees Yuri, that gorgeous warm smile that Yuri has never felt like he deserved, the one that could make any place feel like home. "You're late," he says as Yuri reaches him.

"Yeah, well, my invitation must have got lost in the mail," Yuri says. "You're lucky I showed up at all."

"I am glad you made it," Flynn says. He takes Yuri's hand and squeezes, just a little. "Come on. Let's go find a good spot to watch the fireworks."

Yuri raises an eyebrow. "Fireworks, huh?" he says. "You never could do anything halfway."

Flynn doesn't let go of his hand, just starts leading him through the crowd. "This is a big deal," he says over his shoulder. "Aurnion is a town built without a barrier, a town built by the Empire and the Guilds working together. The fact that it's thriving is good news for everyone."

"I know," Yuri says. He shifts his grip so his fingers lace together with Flynn's. "People here have a lot to celebrate."

They make their way up to the crest of a little hill by the edge of town. Yuri can remember sitting up here with Estelle, watching the stars, trying not to get nervous about the plan they'd come up with. Tonight there are other people on the hill, little groups sitting on blankets, and it doesn't feel nearly so tense.

Yuri and Flynn find a good spot and sit down, and Repede lies down on Flynn's other side with his head on his paws. The sky's mostly dark now, enough so it's easy to pick out Vesperia and even a few of the other stars. Yuri leans against Flynn's side. "It's good to see you," he says.

"Yeah," Flynn agrees. "You too, Yuri. It always is." He rests his head on Yuri's shoulder. "I miss you sometimes, when you're off having adventures on the other side of the world. But..." He trails off.

"No matter how far I go," Yuri says, "you know I'll always come find you again." It sounds so mushy, saying it, but when he glances over it's making Flynn smile. "You give me something to come home to."

"Is that right?" Flynn says. He shifts his weight and then they're both leaning in for a kiss at the same time. Flynn's mouth is soft and cider-sweet.

From the other side of town, the first fireworks go whistling up into the night sky, but Yuri doesn't look up from the kiss. It'll probably be a good light show and everything, but this is the celebration he came home for.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [At Ease](https://archiveofourown.org/works/172104) by [Cephy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cephy/pseuds/Cephy)




End file.
